传统的中国官吏严格来讲只能称作“儒”。由于农业社会中大部分的被统治者是目不识丁的农民 ,只有文史知识的儒官也就足以充当管理者的角色。但至 19世纪末 2 0世纪初 ,随着中国与世界逐渐沟通融会 ,中国的“官”也不得不改变自己以适应社会的变化。江苏的“官变”表现得最为明显 ,在官僚机构增易、官场风气兴革和官员个人知识与观念更新等方面都发生了对现代社会的认同。尽管这种“官”的变化出自于官僚阶层被动的选择 ,且表现为一种非革命的渐变形态 ,但它是符合历史前进方向的。我们既没有理由因其主体是“统治阶级”而否定它的进步性 ,也没有理由因其演变过程平和而否认它最终的质变内涵 Traditional Chinese officials strictly speaking can only be called “Confucianism.” Since most of the ruled people in agricultural society were poor farmers, only Confucian officials with literary and historical knowledge were sufficient managers. But by the turn of the 20th century at the turn of the 19th century, as China gradually became acquainted with the world, the “official” of China had to change itself to adapt to changes in society. Jiangsu’s “official change” was the most obvious manifestation of modern society in terms of the increase of bureaucracy, the rejuvenation of the officialdom and the renewal of officials’ personal knowledge and concepts. Although this “official” change comes from the passive choice of bureaucrats and shows a non-revolutionary gradual change, it is consistent with the direction of history. We have no reason to deny its progressiveness because its subject is the “ruling class,” and there is no reason to deny its ultimate qualitative connotation because of its peaceful evolution.